Drop it off
1 paint drop-off site within 12 miles.
- Lincoln/Lancaster County Household Hazardous Waste Drop Off Days · HazToGoHazardous waste site3.9 mi
Lincoln, NE Paint Disposal
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All drop-off locations in and near Lincoln2
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HazToGo Hazardous Waste Center and GoodToGo Reuse Store (Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department)
5101 N 48th St, Lincoln, NE 68504
- Accepts
- Oil-based paint, stain, paint thinner and turpentine, plus other household chemicals. Latex (water-based) paint is NOT accepted.
- Who can use it
- Lincoln and Lancaster County residents. Businesses and nonprofits that make less than 220 pounds of hazardous waste a month can use the Small Business Program instead: a one-day event held twice a year, by appointment, at reduced rates (402-441-8002).
- Hours
- Wednesday and Friday 9 a.m.–1 p.m., plus the third Saturday of each month 9 a.m.–1 p.m. (2026 Saturdays still ahead: Oct. 17, Nov. 21 and Dec. 19). The longer Wednesday hours (to 6 p.m.) run only May through August. Closed federal and city holidays; for the rest of 2026 that means Nov. 11, Nov. 27 and Dec. 25, plus Jan. 1, 2027.
- Load limits
- No latex paint. Also not taken: ammunition and explosives, large propane grill cylinders, electronics and tires. No household quantity limit is published.
- Fees
- Free for households in Lincoln and Lancaster County. Very small businesses use a separate paid program.
It sits next to the city’s N. 48th Street solid waste facility. The GoodToGo Reuse Store next door is open the same hours and gives away usable products, including paint, stain and varnish, at no cost.
1 paint drop-off site within 12 miles of Lincoln.
Your state doesn’t have a PaintCare program, so stores here don’t take paint for free. These are the public drop-off programs PaintCare’s map lists, closest first. Most only serve their own residents and some charge a fee. Call before you go.
Lincoln/Lancaster County Household Hazardous Waste Drop Off Days · HazToGo
3.9 mi5101 N 48th St, Lincoln, NE 68504
- Who
- Households and VSQG Businesses in Lincoln and Lancaster County
- Hours
- We are open on Wednesdays,and Fridays 9 am - 1 pm. and the third Saturday of the month between 9 am - 1 pm, (May through August) Wednesdays 9 am - 6 pm. Closed on Federal and City Holidays.
- Limits
- Oil based paints and stains and paint thinners are accepted.
- Products
- This site does not accept empty, dry or leaking paint containers or latex paint.
- Notes
- Disposal is free of charge for households. Very small quantity generator (very small business) hazardous waste is also accepted through the center at a reduced cost for disposal, please check website for details.
From PaintCare’s drop-off map ↗, updated October 6, 2026. Hours and limits are PaintCare’s. Distances are straight-line, not driving.
Which option fits your Lincoln cleanout?4
You have a few cans of leftover wall paint
That’s latex, so it stays home. Pour in cat litter or sawdust (3 cups per half gallon), stir, and once it’s firm put the can in the trash.
You found old oil-based paint and deck stain
Take it to HazToGo on a Wednesday or Friday morning. It’s free for Lancaster County households.
You need a bit of stain for a fence
Check the GoodToGo Reuse Store next to HazToGo. Products there are free and stock changes.
You run a small painting business
HazToGo’s household drop-off isn’t for you. If you make under 220 pounds of hazardous waste a month, ask about the Small Business Program event at 402-441-8002.
Lincoln rules and tips5
THE LOCAL ANSWER
Dry latex paint until it’s solid and put it in your garbage; HazToGo in Lincoln, Nebraska, won’t take it. Take oil-based paint and stain free to HazToGo, 5101 N. 48th St., Wednesday or Friday 9 a.m.–1 p.m. or the third Saturday. It’s for Lincoln and Lancaster County residents.
In Lincoln, Nebraska, where your paint goes depends on the type. Oil-based paint and stain go free to HazToGo, the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department’s hazardous waste center at 5101 N. 48th St. Latex paint is not taken there at all: the health department says to dry it until solid and put it in your garbage. (This guide is for Lincoln, Nebraska, not Lincoln City, Oregon.)
Latex goes in the trash once it’s solid
HazToGo turns away latex. The health department’s handout says to brush leftovers onto cardboard, let a quarter gallon or less dry with the lid off for 2–3 days, or mix in cat litter, sawdust or shredded newspaper (about 3 cups dries half a gallon). A hardener packet dries about 0.7 gallon.
HazToGo is open only a few hours a week
Go Wednesday or Friday, 9 a.m.–1 p.m., or the third Saturday of the month, 9–1. The rest of 2026’s Saturdays are Oct. 17, Nov. 21 and Dec. 19. The longer Wednesday hours ended in August.
Free stain and supplies next door
The GoodToGo Reuse Store shares HazToGo’s hours and gives away usable products people dropped off, including paint, stain and varnish, plus car-care and household supplies.
Small businesses have their own program
Businesses and nonprofits that make under 220 pounds of hazardous waste a month can drop off at a one-day event held twice a year, by appointment, at reduced rates. Call 402-441-8002.
Mobile collections are done for 2026
The April 24 Hickman and April 25 Star City Shores collections have already happened, and the health department’s page now says to check back next year.
Free pickup programs and other options
Nebraska has no PaintCare program, so no store take-back. For latex, use it up, give good paint away, or dry it and put it in the garbage. For oil-based paint, HazToGo is the free option for Lincoln and Lancaster County residents. The GoodToGo store next door is the place to find free leftover products.
Getting your paint ready
Sort your cans first: latex stays home to dry, oil-based goes to HazToGo. Check the label; “water cleanup” means latex. Keep oil-based paint in its original can with the lid tight, and box it upright in the trunk.
Full preparation checklist →Lincoln questions5
Will HazToGo take my latex paint?
No. HazToGo says it does not take water-based or latex paint. Dry it until solid and put it in your garbage.
Is oil-based paint drop-off free in Lincoln?
Yes, for households in Lincoln and Lancaster County.
When is HazToGo open?
Wednesdays and Fridays 9 a.m.–1 p.m., and the third Saturday of each month 9–1. It’s closed on federal and city holidays, including Nov. 11, Nov. 27 and Dec. 25.
I live in Hickman or Waverly. Can I use HazToGo?
Yes. It serves residents of Lincoln and all of Lancaster County.
How fast does latex paint dry?
A quarter gallon or less dries in 2–3 days with the lid off, faster on warm, sunny days. For more, mix in cat litter or a hardener.
Sources and how we checked5
October 12, 2026: read the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department’s waste management page (HazToGo, GoodToGo, 2026 Saturday dates, holiday closures, Small Business Program), its leftover latex paint handout (updated April 2024), KOLN’s April 2026 report on the spring mobile collections, Nebraska DWEE’s household hazardous waste release, and PaintCare’s non-program listing, which agrees that latex isn’t taken. Search results mentioned September 2026 mobile collections, but we couldn’t open a primary source for them, so we left them out. The city page doesn’t say what proof of residency HazToGo checks. Move the Oct. 17 Saturday to the past tense after it happens.
Checked October 12, 2026 against these sources, not by phone. How we research.
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